Cortz vs Budget Blinds

Budget Blinds’ 1,355-unit footprint looks like a massive TAM, but that number is a mirage for a third-party vendor. The franchisor_controlled procurement model means the franchisor dictates the tech stack. Selling into those locations requires displacing an entrenched, likely mandated system through a long enterprise sale with the parent—not 1,355 individual decisions. Add a negative unit growth rate of -0.8%, and the base isn’t expanding; it’s slowly eroding. Total unit count and AUV ($775K) paint a pretty picture, but terrain trumps scale when the door is locked.

Cortz flips the terrain advantage with an approved_supplier model. That open procurement lets you sell directly to every franchisee, building adoption one unit at a time with a standard mid-market motion. Yes, the TAM is tiny—only 2 franchised locations today—but early-stage brands are timing plays. You can embed your software as the operational backbone while the franchise scales, locking in a reference architecture that grows with the brand. The royalty rate (6%) and fee structure signal a franchisor that likely prioritizes operator profitability and flexibility, reinforcing that franchisees will have discretionary tech budget.

The tradeoff is clear: Budget Blinds offers volume you can’t access; Cortz offers access you can quickly convert into a land-grab. In home-services software sales, a wide-open terrain inside a 2-unit brand beats a 1,355-unit walled garden every time.

Verdict: Cortz is the stronger software-sales target right now, despite its microscopic unit count.